This is a time of profound change for industrial manufacturers, as once-standalone products become digitally connected, and business models evolve from selling products to also providing ongoing services.
There are exciting opportunities for manufacturers who can capture the full potential of Industry 4.0, by offering mass customization to meet customer needs, pioneering new service-style business models, and turning streams of asset data into valuable new revenue-generating services.
To succeed, manufacturers must focus on the customer like never before – building deep, ongoing relationships and acting on insights gained from customer conversations and product usage data.
For manufacturers who rely on SAP, thriving in Industry 4.0 will require SAP teams to accelerate the pace of change, delivering new functionality fast to meet evolving business and customer needs.
Key Challenges
Digitalization creates exciting new opportunities for industrial manufacturers – but making the most of it will require an agile approach to software change and evolution.
Manufacturing Complexity
As Industry 4.0 equipment incorporates more sensors, processors and software alongside traditional operating technologies, entirely new categories of device are being created. Production processes, manufacturing management systems, partner ecosystems and value chains must all adapt to reflect the growing complexity of digitally-enabled connected machinery.
Changing Expectations
Customer relationships are evolving from one-time sales transactions with basic aftercare, to mass customization, personalized communications, and continuous service-based relationships with ongoing insight into product utilization. The ability to sense and respond fast to customer needs is essential to success.
New Business Models
One of the most attractive aspects of Industry 4.0 is the opportunity to design entirely new business models and revenue streams. Service-based models like usage-based pricing and predictive maintenance all deliver predictable recurring revenue, but will require major changes to order management, billing, maintenance and customer relationship management systems.
Supply Chain Resilience
Geopolitical changes and the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the need for resilient and diversified supply chains. The ability to adapt supply chains on the fly in response to changing conditions will require flexible software systems that can be rapidly updated.
Benefits of SAP DevOps & Test Automation
Manufacturers that have invested in SAP need to be sure their systems can evolve with the times. DevOps and automation can help SAP teams implement more change faster.
Accelerate the pace of digitalization
The move to Industry 4.0 means significant changes to business processes across the whole organization, from top floor to shop floor. With automation and a DevOps approach, SAP change can be introduced at the pace of business transformation.
Basis Technologies' SAP Automation
Supports the Manufacturing Sector
ROBOTIC TEST AUTOMATION ENGINEERED FOR SAP
Automated regression testing across your SAP
landscape, when you need it, without scripting or
test maintenance.
DEVOPS AUTOMATION ENGINEERED FOR SAP
Automation technology that gives you the flexibility to deliver
high quality change on-demand, without risk of
business disruption.
Manufacturing Companies Around the World Trust Basis Technologies' Automation Software
Related Resources
10 Principles of Automated SAP Change and Release Management
Why Kingspan chose ActiveControl to support their S/4HANA landscape
A Practical Guide to DevOps for
SAP
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